(Portland, Oregon) – UPDATE: the Oregon coast will be under a high wind warning through Saturday afternoon and gusts may get as high as 65 mph on headlands and beaches.

Much needed rains are about to drench northwest Oregon, including the coast and valley towns like Portland, Salem and Eugene. This system is even bringing a high wind watch unusually early in the year to the Oregon coast.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Portland said an unusually strong late August storm system is becoming increasingly likely to move northward along the Oregon coast late Friday and Saturday, producing strong winds on the beaches and adjacent coastal mountains. Rainfall could be as much as one to two inches on the coast while inland Oregon could get more than half an inch by the end of the weekend.

The NWS issued a high wind watch for the Oregon coast, in effect late Friday through Saturday for both the north and central coast. South winds could gust as high as 65 mph, with steady winds in the 20's or low 30's.

“The winds may be strong enough to damage trees and produce power disruptions,” the NWS said.

All this does not come as great news for the Hood to Coast this weekend, making for a sloppy, soupy and windy run to the final destination of Seaside.

“A big change in the weather is expected over southwest Washington and northwest Oregon as the first substantial rain is expected over the area late this week and this weekend,” the NWS said. “This could be the most rain most areas have seen since March. Rainfall accumulations through the weekend will probably range from one to two inches along the coast and over the coastal mountains, and in the south Washington Cascades.”

The Oregon Cascades could see as much as an inch and a half of rain, and the Portland area could clock in at half an inch or more.

The NWS said the heaviest rains will be through Saturday morning, but more rain is expected early Sunday as another front moves in. Substantial winds could also hit valley cities like Portland.

“If all of this comes together as expected, this rain will likely ease the dry fire conditions dramatically over southwest Washington and northwest Oregon for at least a week or two,” the NWS said. “The rain and the wind will cause problems for those with outdoor activities planned for this weekend.”

The NWS cautioned about climbing mountains, but especially warned that the roads will be slick and hazardous with this first rain.

While all this is good news for the western half of the state, the eastern half, including the Columbia Gorge, is also under a high wind watch. This is expected to complicate fire-fighting and create other traffic hazards, as the winds are likely to kick up dust and lower visibility on the roads. Some rain is expected to fall in these regions, however. More about general Oregon weather - more about Oregon coast weather.